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Act of Valor

Play trailer Poster for Act of Valor R 2012 1h 50m Action Mystery & Thriller Adventure War Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
28% Tomatometer 141 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
When its latest mission leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S., an elite team of Navy SEALs sets out on a global manhunt. As the men of Bandito Platoon race to stop an attack that could kill or maim thousands of American civilians, they must balance their commitment to their duty and family back home. Each new piece of intelligence they gather reveals a shocking twist to the plot as they track the terrorist ring to the U.S.- Mexico border.
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Act of Valor

Act of Valor

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Critics Consensus

It's undeniably reverent of the real-life heroes in its cast, but Act of Valor lets them down with a clichéd script, stilted acting, and a jingoistic attitude that ignores the complexities of war.

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Critics Reviews

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Tara Brady Irish Times 04/01/2012
1/5
I guess they had to be realistic in order to make up for the dialogue, the acting, the special effects, the mawkishness, the closeted homoeroticism, the jingoism... Go to Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian 03/22/2012
1/5
In the 1980s, Top Gun reportedly sent young men rushing to join the military; this hilariously bad film is going to get them clamouring to join the Jon Stewart Appreciation Society. Go to Full Review Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) 03/22/2012
2/5
The film is almost unashamedly a recruitment video for future Seals, but let's hope possession of a PlayStation 3 doesn't become the sole condition for enrolling. Go to Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies 08/19/2022
2.5/5
“Act of Valor” does enough of what it’s aiming for. Go to Full Review Howard Gorman NME (New Musical Express) 06/10/2021
Shadowing real-life SEALs as they re-enact some of the most stunning combat sequences ever put to film, this is the closest a film has ever got to emulating a Call of Duty game. Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com 09/01/2020
2.5/4.0
Act of Valor isn't an awful film. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Will M @Mass9126 Aug 1 The idea of putting actual veterans in a movie to better depict action in a combat zone is super awesome. I forgive them for the subpar acting because the stunts and choreography are great. I saw this movie in theaters when it came out and just saw it again in 2026 for the first time since. Still enjoyed it. When critics hate it, but viewers love it, you know it’s going to be good See more Imaginarily B @ImaginIt Jul 21 Recruitment video for the US military. Tragic. See more Frans B @FransB Mar 15 The huge discrepancy between the "critics" and "audience" here must mean something? Great effort in directing by McCoy and Waugh, capable cast a bit underutilized, writing could be better but overall not half bad. Clear and concise dialogue, as it should be, not to be mistaken for "bad acting". Great cinematography and visually appealing. Enough action, drama, suspense, emotion, twists and intrigue. Does have a "real world" feel to it, which is very nice. The fact that real SEALS were used in movie gets an extra point from me. Entertaining See more Matthew T @RT22733965 Sep 20 Great movie. Absolute must watch! Im surprised nobody is mentioning in the reviews that the Seals in this movie are played by real Navy Seals. Some retired and some active duty. See more Gregory S @Gregory566 Sep 1 The critics continue to illustrate how inept they really are. Is this a great movie? No Is it a truly accurate account? No But, it’s an awesome depiction of the brother and sisterhood of Service Members. See more Kristoffer S @RT71919876 08/03/2025 My personal opinion is that the critics have been to negative when rating this movie. It’s not the very best seal team movie but definitely worth watching. I’m one of the 72% that liked the movie. See more Read all reviews
Act of Valor

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Cast & Crew

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Mike McCoy

Director

Scott Waugh

Director

Roselyn Sanchez

Agent Morales

Jason Cottle

Abu Shabal

Alex Veadov

Christo

Nestor Serrano

Walter Ross

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Act of Valor

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Act of Valor

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Movie Info

Synopsis When its latest mission leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S., an elite team of Navy SEALs sets out on a global manhunt. As the men of Bandito Platoon race to stop an attack that could kill or maim thousands of American civilians, they must balance their commitment to their duty and family back home. Each new piece of intelligence they gather reveals a shocking twist to the plot as they track the terrorist ring to the U.S.- Mexico border.
Director
Mike McCoy, Scott Waugh
Screenwriter
Kurt Johnstad
Distributor
Relativity Media
Production Co
Bandido Brothers
Rating
R (Some Torture|Language|Strong Violence)
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller, Adventure, War
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 24, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 4, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$70.0M
Runtime
1h 50m
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